1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to an electrical connector, and more particularly to a board-to-board connector block with a closing mechanism for easily and effectively engaging two printed circuit boards.
2. The Prior Art
The expansion of a computer's memory and capability is often achieved through the addition of secondary printed circuit boards electrically connected to a source board of the computer. The secondary board can be connected to the source board by means of a vertical card connector which has one surface mounted to the source board and receives an edge of the secondary board in a slot defined in another surface thereof so that the secondary board is positioned perpendicular to the source board. Alternatively, a horizontal card connector assembly can be sandwiched between the two PC boards thereby promoting a more efficient use of space.
Horizontal card connector assemblies commonly consist of a plug connector mounted to a bottom surface of the secondary board and a receptacle connector mounted on a top surface of the source board using well-known surface mounting techniques. The plug and receptacle connectors are then mated together for transmitting signals between the two PC boards. Since the conventional horizontal card connector assembly requires soldering of each connector onto the corresponding PC board before the connectors are mated together in addition to fastening a set of screws, nuts, and washers in holes defined in both the assembly and the boards for firmly securing the connection therebetween, manufacture and assembly thereof becomes laborious as well as time and cost inefficient. Therefore, an improved board-to-board connector is required which can overcome the above-mentioned drawbacks.